Empower Your Community with Envita Medical Centers’ Center of Excellence Offering for Cancer and Chronic Disease Treatment

Chemotherapy, when not properly targeted, can be very taxing on the body, which is why Envita has developed a precision-based chemotherapeutic option, called GTFC™ or Genetically Targeted Fractionated Chemotherapy. GTFC™ utilizes extensive genomic testing, going beyond what is typically done elsewhere (if at all), and includes Envita’s proprietary bioinformatic algorithms to target care on a genomic level and allows patients access to off-label medications, targeted chemotherapies, and integrative adjunctive customized treatments. This treatment strategy is much more precise than the standard NCCN guidelines for care, especially after patients have already failed standard of care.

Radiation is typically done via external beam (IMRT, TOMO, Proton beam), but Envita utilizes a more targeted and lower dose treatment, called 3D tumor targeting that allows image-guided delivery of small radioactive beads that are smaller than a grain of rice. These beads are placed in peri tumoral areas with customized radiosensitizers aimed at resistant cancer stem cells, to help improve long-term responses in highly resistant cancer cells. 3D tumor targeting allows for one procedure, instead of the multiple visits required to take the stronger doses of radiation. We aim to eliminate the need for long-term high dose external beam radiotherapy and reduce side effects by using this image guided technology for care.

To solely focus on precision oncology, Envita has its own customized infrastructure, such as, our custom compounding pharmacy, which was developed over several decades. Our custom compounding pharmacy helps to develop the key targets needed for each patient’s unique genetics, mutations, immunotherapy, and other needs.

In standard hospitals or oncology facilities, medications are ordered based on standard guidelines with minor modifications, as they are stipulated by CPT billing codes followed for reimbursements by health insurance companies. However, Envita breaks away from these limitations to utilize precision medicine, which is hardly utilized in the standard-of-care model due to costs, lack of access to technology, and the inability to go off-label when the targets call for it. These factors make it difficult for standard institutions to provide high level customization, increasing their dependence on pharmaceutical companies to deliver precision drugs. This process of procuring drugs can be slow and expensive, often delaying treatments and access to precision oncology, nationwide.

In fact, only 17% of patients get the benefits of utilizing precision oncology testing, according to a recent article by Duke university (Strickler, J., & Sison, E. A. R. (2022, January 27). Duke Molecular Tumor Board: Tackling barriers to precision cancer medicine. Medscape. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/966786). Most oncologists are not trained in molecular targeting, which is crucial for utilizing precision oncology, as a result precision oncology does not get fully utilized in standard institutions. At Envita, not only do we have trained oncologists, but our chemists and pharmacists also work closely with our doctors to utilize our proprietary bioinformatics algorithms, which are singularly focused on improving patient outcomes and extending human life. In our clinical experience, this treatment strategy has made a significant difference in patient outcomes. In fact, Envita’s Molecular Tumor Boards meet regularly to share cases and discuss patient care, creating team style practice.

Envita is one of the only precision integrative oncology programs based on a value-based care model. The basic goal of value-based care is to improve outcomes and experiences while reducing overall cost of care, and Envita has uniquely accomplished these metrics in chronic disease and oncology, in accordance with the goal of National Institute of Health (NIH) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7185050/ ). However, it has been hard for standard hospitals and specialty care centers to accomplish these goals, due to the current billing systems in health insurance.

Envita’s cost of care is 50% the cost of convention oncology with access to many times more precision technology. Envita’s costs are certified by 3rd party actuarial response data at 141% of Medicare, which is significantly lower than conventional cost for non-precision oncology, which ranges from 300% to 1000% of Medicare rates, depending on the institution. Our value-based, cost-efficient pricing has encouraged several self-funded employer groups to partner with us, as an important option for their employees. Self-funded groups can control their healthcare spending, which is why their partnership with us will not only drive down their healthcare costs, but also improve their employees’ responses.

Envita’s Human Resources team reviews an estimated 13,000 to 16,000 resumes to identify the one person that may fit the skill set required for a role, while possessing attributes of radically loving care and exceptional interpersonal skills. Our team comprises exceptionally skilled and compassionate people, who have the desire and gift to give love and facilitate healing for our patients. We try our best to accomplish this goal for every patient, as our data also showed an outstanding 88%* satisfaction by our patients, a score provided by their own patient directed forms.

*Data is based on our analysis of records for 87 out of 129 patients that participated in Envita’s treatment program in 2020. 42 patients were removed from the cohort due the patient’s inability to start or complete Envita’s prescribed treatment for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to, advanced disease state, disease progression, or inability to travel.

Once selected, our multi-disciplinary doctors go through 1,500 hours of additional molecular targeting training, which takes an estimated 1 year to accomplish. To become proficient with Envita’s algorithms, every physician undergoes this training, irrespective of their background or training, prior to Envita.

All doctors at Envita are salaried, and they are not given financial incentives to prescribe treatment or care. This value-based payment model is in contrast with the conventional fee-split model, in which doctors are forced to bill, as payments are based on the number of appointments, treatments, or procedures they perform. Envita moves away from this fee-split payment model, as it can greatly impact value-based care. Instead, we believe that doctors should be encouraged by patient outcomes, and we continue to improve our systems to encourage just that, patient outcomes.

All our nurses are also on salary and are trained extensively in our unique precision delivery methods, enabling them to continue the radical loving care with our patients. Our nursing team with their compassionate care and interactions also contribute to achieving 88% patient satisfaction, as stated above. We are proud of this metric because we aim to address the varied emotional and financial burdens associated with patients dealing with late-stage cancer and complex diseases. We aim to help these patients and their families by providing appropriate education, awareness, and cost-transparency, without deviating from our radically loving care approach.

Finally, we have patient care coordinators, who are on a salary, but are additionally incentivized to ensure that each patient receives the highest level of care, consistently through their journey. These concierge members serve as advocates and educators, supporting patients in every step of their recovery journey, while ensuring they never have to do healthcare alone.

Envita’s concierge members work hard to coordinate complex plans, schedules, and become advocates and ambassadors for their patient, which is in contrast with processes in standard hospitals, where most patients feel traumatized and lonely in their journey. This superior level of patient experience is another key criterion, which helps Envita accomplish such a unique facility for care. We strongly believe that it is difficult to find such a successful value-based precision oncology environment elsewhere in the industry, if at all, which explains why most of our patients come through word-of-mouth referrals. A happy and healthy former patient’s review is one of our greatest compliments, which drives us to achieve more for each of our existing patients.